Freezer inner door structure



G, c. FoERsTNER ETAL 5,12%

FREEZER INNER DOOR STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 9, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l 324722. 77121: George 6: fiensizzez" Z I Robert E. Moore 9 Warren 7?. Bower" H L I 1. 75

3%8 G. c. FGERSTNER ETAL 9 9 FREEZER INNER DOOR STRUCTURE} 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 9, 1953 f 5 v T@ r m e 5? U1 Z 6 0 5 B: ma ma L 2% I? GEW United States Patent FREEZER INNER DOOR STRUCTURE George C. Foerstner, Amana, and Robert E. Moore and Warren R. Bower, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, assignors to Amana Refrigeration Inc., Amana, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Application October 9, 1953, Serial No. 385,095

8 Claims. (Cl. 221-311 The present invention relates to the construction of doors for food freezers, refrigerators and the like. More particularly, the invention relates to food storage structure positioned on the inside surface of the freezer door for the storage and dispensing of packaged foods.

Applicants are aware of prior art food storage units such as refrigerators which utilize a food storage apparatus secured to the door. However, to their know ledge, all of these prior art structures dealt with the storage of such items as bottled goods, and similar relatively upright and narrow types of food packages. The prior art shelves have been relatively narrow and, in fact, to our knowledge have not exceeded three inches in depth.

Increased popularity of the low temperature food freezing method of preserving food has placed on the market a type of food package entirely different from that heretofore known in household food storage. For example, on the modern market, a great many vegetables, fruits and similar seasonal food products are now packaged in opaque paper, or similar cartons, having a width of substantially four inches, a varying depth which averages approximately an inch and one-half, and a varying length which varies to a substantial extent depending upon the food being packaged. In the prior art food freezers of the type with which we are aware, no provision other than the usual, and rather unsatisfactory, shelf type storage within the compartment of the freezer has been made for this new type of package.

While, of course, the narrow compartments provided in the doors of prior art food freezers and refrigerators are capable of holding such packages when placed on edge, it is clear that only very nominal amounts of such materials may be stored in the door since the vertical and lateral dimensions of the package are quite large. However, through the present invention, an entirely different concept in the storage of food in the freezer door has been provided by which a maximum amount offood storage space is provided without rendering the door structure substantially more complex than those al- Further, through the use ready known in the prior art. of the present invention the storage of food is, systematized so that a continual first-in-first-out food storage system is automatically and conveniently provided.

slightly greater than four inches. The liner is rectanguthe above mentioned four inch frozen food packages on their sides with the thickness dimension in the vertical plane and the length dimension in a horizontal plane. Such an arrangement is found in the copending application of George C. Foerstner, Serial No. 311,854, filed September 27, 1952, now U. S. Patent No. 2,728,623, issued December 27, 1955.

' By thus stacking the packages on the flat side, it is possible to utilize substantially all the area of the freezer door for efficient food storage. While this basic concept is shown in the above identified copending application, several factors of importance should be noted relative to the effective use of such a storage system. In the first place, provision must be made for preventing the disoldging of food packages uponthe opening or the closing of the door. Thus, a bar or similar type retaining means must be providedacross the front of the stored packages to prevent them from falling during the usual course of opening and closing the freezing compartment.

In the second place, the provision of the usual retaining means in the form of a basket type of enclosure or similar retaining means, requires that the packaged food first placed in the door compartments be utilized last since the food first placed in the door would naturally be positioned on the bottom of the compartments where it could not be removed until last. While it is of course possible to reshuffle the packages every time that it is desired to use one, such a procedure is undesirable since it requires a substantial amount of time during which the freezer compartment must be open, and it further is an obvious source of annoyance to the user. I

Applicants have, in'the present invention, provided an improved storage structure for use with doors of food freezer cabinets which provides for the extremely eificient side stacking of food packages, while at the same time providing for retention of the packages securely within the door compartments. Further, the structure of the present invention provides a dispensing means of simplified, yet widely adjustable type which automatically disseminates, without reshufiling, the oldest frozen food of the particular type chosen by the user. Thus, an automatic, first-in-first-out food control is provided which provides a maximum amount of storage space Without requiring undue manipulation of the food packages.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel food storage apparatus for use with food freezer doors.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a frozen food package storing and dispensing apparatus for positioning on the door of a food freezer.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a simplified first-in-first-out food freezer inventory control structure. I Yet'another object of the present invention is to provide a novel retaining means for maintaining parcels in lar in shape and hence a constant depth food compare sally. By providing an inner door having a depth slightly greater than four inches, it is thus possible to store stacked relation within the door of a food freezer or the like;

Yet, another object of the present invention is toprovide a novel divider apparatus for association with food freezer doors, and which is adjustable relative to the door to provide a plurality of different food package compartment sizes. 7 v

A'feature of the present invention is a compartment divider provided with a self-contained divider positioning mechanism capableof maintaining said divider in an ad guide adjacent thereto for positioning food packages ad just'ed position in said door.

Another feature of the present invention is the provision of a food storage compartment having a disseminating slot at the bottom thereof and an inclined package jacent said slot for ready removal therethrough.

Patented Sept. 16, 1958 a consideration of the attached drawings in which a pre-- ferred embodiment of the present invention is shown by way of illustration only. i I V 'Onthe drawings:

Figure '1 is an elevational view ofa food freezer door illustrating the installation of the structureo'f thepresent invention therein;

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross sectional "view taken along the line 11-11 of Fig. '1 and 'further illustrating theapplicants novel'storage apparatus; 7

Figure 3 is apartial plan view 'o'f'the package holding shelfof the present invention; 2

'Figure 4 is'a partial elevation view showingthe method of installing the dividers of the present invention; and

Figure 5 is a cross sectional'view of a divider taken along the'line V'V ofFig. '2.

As shown on the drawings:

As may be seen from Fig. :1, a door of conventional peripheral contour is provided for cooperation with the compartment of an upright food freezer 11 through the hinges 12. The door 10 comprises an outer shell 13 .which is securely braced by thermally non-conductive members to an inner lining shell 14.. The inner and outer shells are decoratively and thermally separatedffurther by the breaker strip 15 which encircles the periphery of the door between the edges of said shells.

The above described freezer compartment structure may be of conventional designas far as peripheral dimensions are concerned. However, therectangular'innerliner 14 as used in the present invention is constructed of a depth which is slightly greater than four inches. Thus, as viewed in Fig. "2, the side walls'14a of the liner "14, including the peripheral flange 14b, provide a depth slightly greater than four inches. Within this four inch cavity a plurality of shelves 1 6, 17 and '18 are provided for supporting packaged foods and for supporting dividers 20 arranged for the segregation and retention of 'food packages 21.

Each of the dividers 29 comprises an elongated barrier or bar having a substantially T-shaped crosssectiouas shown in Fig. '5. As may be seen, however; from Fig. 2,

the cross bar or retaining flange 22 of the T .exte'nds throughout only amid portion .ofthe divider 29 leaving an uncrossed po-rtion'23 at thetop thereof. and a-second uncrossed portion 24 at the base thereof, for purposes which will be described below.

A fiat base member or platform25 is provideid atthe lower end of each divider andextends, as maybe seen from Fig. 1, to substantially the same width asthe .cross bar 22. The bottom surface 25 is flanged at '26 toprevent outward movement of the lowermost package '21 without an intentional manualeifort. .A guide or locating pin and a tongue 25!) are provided on the bottom surface of theplattorm .25ifor cooperation with theaperture, 27 and groove 16a in the shelf 16, and operatetoprevent any rotation or lateral movement of the; platform. 25 relative to the shelf-16.

The dividers..20 are positioned vin theinner liner..14 in an adjustable manner. This is accomplished through the provision ofalarge number of apertures 27,in-.the lower shelves 16 .and 18 and a. correspondingnurnber of rectangular slots.,28 in theupper sidewall 14a of the inner liner and in the bottom of the shelf-17. The, .leg 29 of each of the dividers 20 is provided=with :a slot ,30 thereby providing an integral, upwardly eXtendinggabntment finger 31.

. Asmay .be .seenfrom Figs. '2 and .4, :the upperlendlof the leg 29 is provided with an overhanging :liprportion 32 which is separated from the abutment -finger"-31 and which extends in an overhanging relation thereto sufficient that deflection of the finger 31 toward-the right as viewed inFigA until the finger'abuts the portion 29awill' cause a se- 2, 1 1

. 4 the finger 31 to lie completely under the overhanging -lip-32.

The finger 31 and the leg 29 of the divider 20 are preferably provided with substantially identical thicknesses, so that when the finger 31 is abutted against the portion 29 the entire upper end 33 of the divider 20 may be moved upwardly through the elongated slot 28 in the manner shown in Fig. 4. However, when the finger 31 is in the position shown in Fig. 2 relative to the portion 29, the divider -20 is prevented from moving upwardly by the abutment 34 on the end of the finger 31. Thus, the abutment 3'4 acts against the side wall 14a,

1 or a similar portion of the shelf 17 to prevent upward movementof thedividerltl until suchrtimeastlrefinger 31 is positionedunder the lip 32.

It will thus be seen that a divider 20 may be inserted between the shelves 17 and 18, or between the top wall 14a and the shelf 16 of th e door liner hy deflecting the finger'31 into abutment with theleg portion'29a, insert ing the upper end 33 of the divider 20 inthe slot28, moving'the' divider upwardly until the guide pin 35 on the bottom flange25 thereof can pass over theshelf 16 or18 to aposition over 'an aperture 27, and then moving the entire divider-121) downwardly, inserting the pin 35 and the tongue 25!) inthe selectedaperture'27 and the groove 16a, respectively; When the divider20 is thus moved-downwardly, the'finger'fil is moved clear of the aperture 28 andis permitted to spring outwardly into the position shown inFig.'2,'in which'the abutmentsurface 34 prevents npward movement of the divider 238 until such time as the finger 3'1'is again deflected into contact the leg member abutment 29a. Thus the divider -20 is secu ely maintainedin the slots 28'and the aperture'27 until such timeas it is desired to make a further adjustment of the position of the dividers.

j In practice, it isdesirable'that a very large number'of closely spaced apertures .27 and slots 28 be provided in the compartment shelves. Under such circumstances it"is then .possible to provide a plurality of dividers 20 in :various positions along the shelves to accommodate-food packages .21 having varying lengths. Such an arrangement may be een in'Fig. 1 wherein the food packages 2.1a are showntobe substantially longer than the packages 21. By providing a relatively large number of dividers 20 with each tireezer unit, it is therefore possible to utilize the freezer door to accommodate a large variety of package types, regardless of the food packager. Thus, even though the various packaging companies provide difierentlength .and width dimensions, the standard use of the four inch dimension permits the maximum utilization of space when ,a divider system such as above described isincorporated in the freezer door.

Thenovel fiISt-ll'lrfiIStrOllt inventory control system is provided in the present invention through the provision of the gaps 23 and .24 in the cross bar or retaining flange 22of the divider 20. Theelimination of the cross bar 22.permits, as may ,be seen from Fig. 2, the ,edgewise removal of packages 21-from thev bottom of the package stacks. Theremoval of the. bottom package is facilitated by. providing an. overha'ngingportion 25a onthe flange 25 so that the lowermost package v21 rnay bemoved toward the -leftsas viewed in Fig. 2 above-the space 36. The users fingers may then be positioned .under the left hand edge. of. the package :21 and the package lifted sufiiciently to pass overthe npwardly turnedfleinge 26. Sincethe fin e s Q 't .115 ma thu dil be brought t b a ai s th b tom u a e Q tth l we P ka 1 1. tis isinin emat e t a lvth nss ss r sforq t li t pac ge :2 overthe. flan 26 and qui ar awavg rqm the inner;she1l.;14. 7

:When the=-lowest;package 21,is removed ,as above described, the nextzsucceedingpackage drops downwardly behind-thescrossbar'22 of the associated dividers. On its movement -downwardly,=ther ighthand edge 37 strikes asseni against the inclined surface 38 of the shelf 16. The inclination of the surfact 38 causes the lowermost package 21 to be moved toward the le ft by weight of the packages stacked thereabove. This leftward movement positions the lowermost package 21 against the vertical flange 26 in position for its withdrawal as above described. However, since the flange 26 provides a positive abutment, the packages cannot be dislodged from the storage compartment of the door inadvertently through opening or closing of the door.

Thus, it will be seen that as the user stores food packages between the dividers by placing the packages sidewise through the open portions 23 at the top of the dividers 20, the lowermost, or first stored package, is the one next used since removal of the packages is accomplished through the lowermost opening 24 in the cross bars 22. Under this system, the user is automatically provided with a foolproof means for assuring that packaged food is not stored indefinitely in the freezer while later-stored packages of the same type of food are consumed.

It is to be understood that various types of materials may be utilized in the dividers 20 and in shelves 16, 17 and 18, as well as in the inner shell 14. However, it has been found that plastics of the high impact polystyrene type, such as Dow Chemical Companys Styron 475, Koppers 305, or similar polystyrene compounds, are very satisfactory for dividers. These plastics have a very high resistance to impact shock while providing a sufficient resiliency to permit substantially unlimited flexing of the finger 31 without fracture. Further, these plastics are readily colored to provide pleasing decorative appearance, are odorless, tasteless and unaffected by low temperatures.

Likewise, the shelves and liner shell 14 may be made of plastic. However, in order to minimize the expense it is preferred that the structural elements such as shelves, be manufactured of anodized aluminum, thereby providing decorative colors, and that the inner shell 14 be constructed of deep drawn steel, ribbed as at 14 to provide a door structure having the maximum rigidityv and providing ample air circulation behind and around the food packages.

It is to be understood that the apertures 27 may be of any configuration desired, and may, for example, be rectangular in substantially the same manner as the slots 28 provided at the upper ends of the dividers 20. Likewise, while a design configuration has been shown on the sides of the dividers 2%, as at 4%, it is to be understood that the exact configuration of this design is immaterial. The main function of the cavities 4% is to maintain the major portion of the edges of the stored packages somewhat separated from the main body of the divider. Thus, the danger of the packages 21 becoming bonded to the dividers by frost is substantially eliminated. However, as above noted, various ribbed effects may be provided for accomplishing this purpose whileat the same time providing a pleasing and decorative appearance.

It will thus be seen that we have provided a novel and greatly improved food storage compartmenting structure for food freezers, which structure permits a maximum of storage capacity and a maximum of efficiency in food utilization. Through the use of the novel structure herein disclosed, a first-in-first-out inventory control is automatically provided and a wide range of package sizes may be accommodated without structural changes in the freezer door proper.

It is to be understood that modifications and variations may be made in the disclosed structure without departing from the novel concepts of the present invention and it is, accordingly, intended that the scope of the present invention be limited solely by the scope of the hereinafter appended claims.

We claim as our invention: j p

1. In combination with a recessed door, a horizontal shelf, at least two vertically disposed dividers adjustably associated with said shelf and said door and removably secured to said shelf whereby the horizontal distancetherebetween may 'be adjusted, each of said dividers having a flange therealong at the edge thereof remote from the door whereby packages may be retained between the dividers and against said door, means for inserting packages behind said flanges at the top of the dividers, and means at the bottom of the dividers permitting removal of stacked packages one by one, said last named means including a cut-out portion in each of said flanges adjacent the bottom thereof, a package-displacing inclined portion on said shelf adjacent said door for moving the lowermost package outwardly away from said door through said cut-out portion and into position for manual removal, platform means at the bottom of each said divider providing an extension of said shelf projecting outwardly away from said door beyond said flanges and supporting the lateral ends only of the bottom package and abutment means on said platform at the edge thereof remote from the door whereby the lowermost package is prevented from outward movement along said platform and away from said door beyond a predetermined dispensing position in which both the bottom and top of the package projects for grasping. v 2. In combination with a recessed door, a horizontal shelf, at least two vertically disposed dividers adjustably associated with said shelf and said door and removably secured to said shelf whereby the horizontal distance therebetween may be adjusted, eachof said dividers having a flange therealong at the edge thereof remote from the door whereby packages may be retained between the dividers and against said door, means for inserting packages behind said flanges at the top of the dividers, and means at the bottom of the dividers permitting removal of stacked packages one by one, said last named means including a cut-out portion in each of said flanges thereof, platform means at the bottom of each said divider pro viding a horizontal extension of said shelf projecting outwardly away from said door beyond said shelf and supporting the lateral ends only of the bottom package, and

a vertically projecting abutment means on said platform at the edge thereof remote from the door whereby the lowermost package is prevented from outward movement relative to said door beyond a predetermined dispensing position in which the bottom of the package is open for grasping and lifting whereby the package may be lifted over said last named abutment means and out through said out-out portion.

3. In combination with a door recess, a pair of vertically spaced substantially horizontal surfaces associated with said recess, at least two vertically disposed horizontally spaced dividers associated with said surfaces and projecting vertically through spaced apertures therein, each of said dividers having "a flange therealong at the front edge thereof remote from the door for retaining.

packages between adjacent dividers and between said flanges and the door, a gap in the flange at the top of each divider to permit inserting packages behind said flanges and between said horizontal surfaces, means at the bottom of the dividers permitting removal of stacked packages one-'by-one, said last named means including a cut-out portion in each of said flanges adjacent the bottom thereof, platform means at the bottom of each divider and projecting outwardly from said door and supporting the lateral ends of the bottom package, vertical abutment means on said platform at the front edge thereof preventing movement of the bottom package outward through the cut-out portion without first raising said pack- 1 cally spaced substantially horizontal surfaces associated with said recess, at least two vertically disposed horizon- 7 tally spaced dividers associated with said surfaces and Pr b-st n v i a .thw s 'sp s earnes ness ea h of 'said dividers having aflange therealongatfthe front, edge t ereof remotefrom the door for retaining packages between adjacent dividers and between said flanges and the door, a gap in the flange at the top of each divider to permit inserting packages behind said flanges and between said horizontal surfaces, means at the bottom of the dividers permitting removal of stacked packages one-by-one, said last named means including a crit-jo ut portion in each of said flanges adjacent the bottom thereof, platform means at the bottom of each divider and projecting outwardly from said door andsupporting the lateralen'ds' of the bottom package, 'vertial a i t' i n m an Yo a platfo m a h rom Zssi thereof preventing movement of the bottom package outia'rd' t ush e out pe son w ho fitst a ns Sa d package, upwardly, eachofsaid dividers having an integral resilient portion thereof adapted to be yieldably s 1 g into a collapsed position permitting the di sitioned in one of the spaced apertures in said yertically spaced surfaces and returned to a less cbllapfifid P951993 upon such positioning in saidaperture for loclgingthe divider in fixed position between said surfaces.

5. In combination with a door recess, apairof 'xerti: cally spaced substantially horizontal surfaces associa d with said recess, at least two vertically'disposed' ho tally spaced dividers associated with saidsurf es an p jee ting vertically through spaced apertures the fil, eachof said dividers having a'fiange therealongat the fro thereof remote from the door forretaining'packagesb ween adjacent dividers and between said flanges andfth door, a gap in the flangeat the top of each divider to ermit inserting packages behind said flanges and'between fsaid horizontal surfaces, means at the bottom of thedividers permitting removal of stacked packages e eb' o re, d last named means including a cut-out poiftion in, said'flanges adjacent the bottom thereof, sub anhally horizontal platform means at the bottorn'of eac for supporting the lateralends only of the bottom pacli age, vertical abutment flange means onjsaid platforrnfat the front edge thereof for preventing movement "of ,the ottom pa kag u ar qus the u lpe tion without first raising said package upwardly, ea'ch'of said dividers having an integral resilient portion thereof formed by a removal of material adjacent one of said flanges whereby said portion may be yieldably sprung into a bollapsed position in which the external dimensions of the divider are reduced thereby permitting the divider to .fbe

positioned in the spaced, apertures in said verti'callyspaced surfaces and returned to a less collapsed condition upon such positioning for locking the divider in fixed'position "between said surfaces.

.6. A divider of substantially T cross section comprising a bar and a retaining head flange extending along one edge of said bar substantially perpendicular thereto, the end portions of said flange being cut away, upper and lower projecting securing means at the ends of said divider, and a platform adjacent one endof said bar integral therewith, said lower securing means extending b oiid said platform, said bar having alengthvviseslot heirfend dividing it'into arela tijve y lon resins 19 9? and a a iy y shor x a fac n e aine abu nt I A vid .9 su s a y T ro s s c n s mpr ssa a and? eta a flange xt d n ma pie edge'of said "bar substantially perpendicular thereto, the end pqrtions of said flange being cut away, vertically extending flange abutment means secured to said bar at the bottom thereofand extending substantially parallel to said head flange "but vertically removed therefrom, and an 'i'ntegral'a'biitment finger at the other end of said bar, the latterhavinga laterally open recess adjacent said finger and said finger bein resilient for movement into and away from said recess.

8. A divider of substantially T cross section compris ing'a vertical bar and a retaining head flange extending along the outer edge of said bar substantially perpenditmlar thereto, 'th'ebp'per and "lower end portions of said flange'being cut away, an upwardly extending securing element at the upper end of said bar, a platform at thelower endof said bdr'integrally attached thereto and'provided at its outer end With'an lupvvar dly extending flange spaced 1V vertically from said head flange, a downwardly extending securing element carried by said platform, and upper and lower retaining abutment elements at the ends of said divider respectively adjacent said securing elements, said divider having a slot therein between one of said retaining'abutment elements and said bar, said divider being formed ofresilient material and said one retaining abutment element being normally held in operative position spaced awayfrom said bar by the inherent resiliency of'the corresponding portion of said divider, said slot accommodating movement of said one retaining abutment element toward said bar 'to'an inoperative positionl :tRd rsum -Gi e n t file o this p n UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 19,09 2 Despard Feb. 20, 1934 368,426 Ruttrnann et a1 Aug. 16 1887 653,699 Robinson July '17, 1900 695,473 Morgan Mar. 18, 1902 853,961 Al gxadldfil'. Aug. 20, 1907 1,097,409 Fees et a1. May 19, 1914 1,298,848 Wineberg Apr. 1, 1919 1,464,343 "Scherer Aug. 7, 1923 1,792,714 Shields Feb. .17, '1931 2,047,996 Crosley et al July 21, 1936 2,436,577 Kirby u Feb. 24, .1948 2,667,758 Tenney et al. Feb. 2, 1954 2,668,090 Derr Feb. 2, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 73,312 Austria Apr. 25, 1917 294,803 Great Britain Aug. 2, 1928 670,984 Great Britain Apr. 30, 1952 675,412 France Nov. 7, 1929 914,964 France July 1 1946 

